Those Constant Changing Fates
by RedAlaina
Summary: Anya Crawford has had a rough start of life, and left her new luxurious home for a more humble lifestyle. When Jayden, current reigning champ of the Duel Monsters world, takes an interest in her, she will have to choose which path her life will take.
1. 1: Think About My Life

**Chapter 1: Think About My Life**

Anya Crawford blinked her heavy eyelids open, squinting as the bright sun streamed through her blinds. She sighed, pushing the dark red hair from her face, and adjusting her vision to the light. A yawn escaped her throat, and she stretched her arms out to accommodate it, pushing the pastel colored blankets and sheets off of her legs.

Standing, she padded over to her dresser, grabbing the television remote and turning on the small tv in her room. A nicely dressed newsman talked blandly about the weather, and she frowned at the prospect of another stormy day.

Sighing again, she turned to her mirror, staring at her own deep lavender eyes and smoothing her hair with a brush. There was another tournament today, one that she was hoping to do well in. This life was getting old. Was she good at what she did? She liked to think so. Dueling had always been a big part of her life. But after just a few short years at being a true professional, life was getting…boring. There wasn't anything different to do, and the career went as usual. You win some, you lose some. It was enough to get by, but it wasn't making her…happy, like she thought it would.

She shook off the thoughts of life and pulled her hair back into a long ponytail, letting a few shorter bangs hang down around her face. She glanced back at the television that was still broadcasting the day's newsreel, and eyed her deckbox sitting next to it.

Anya's teeth clenched as a trickle of sweat slipped down her face. Her opponent was on the opposite side of the stadium, a confident smirk on his face. He was going to regret that. She stared at her hand, the limited options were grating down on her for sure. Damn hand-destroying cards. It was his field against hers. The same situations she was used to squirming out of. Despite the pressure of winning creating a headache within her temples, she grinned. This game was hers. Two monsters and plenty of trap cards defended her, and the little amount of life both players had created just the push she needed. She created an opening. A single, tiny window of opportunity that as soon as the crowd and her opponent saw it, the attitude in the room changed. The fans screamed wildly. Her opponents smile vanished as defeat slowly crept into his mind and disappointment in himself took over. The match was hers. She took a deep, slow breath as the podium descended, letting her down from the dueling arena. The other duelist threw some of his cards on the ground, cursing his bad hand.

Anya frowned at the bad sportsmanship, but she felt her lips curl into a small smile when she heard her name being announced as the winner. She knew the satisfaction of the win paled in comparison to what it meant for her growing reputation and paycheck for the month. At this point, the prize money would more than cover what she needed. She held her breath steady, trying to calm down from the adrenaline rush the last part of the intense duel had left her with. She walked into the winners hall, greeted by a few of her backstage supporters. Gamblers, mostly, thanking her for their monetary gain. She smiled and waved, but only to be polite.

When did this game get to be so dull? From the time she was thirteen on all she could think about was becoming a professional duelist. And now, at just twenty five, she was doubting her career choice. Leaving her supporters behind, she dropped her polite, smiling face and ran her fingers through her hair. She leaned against the wall, pressing her forehead to the cool concrete while the voices of the crowd echoed in the nearly empty hallway.

"You're really good." A voice alerted her, making her straighten her back in surprise. The voice was positive, happy. It was also oddly pitched, a little high, but a tone of masculinity.

"Um, thanks." She muttered, turning to face her compliment. She stopped, her eyes growing wide with the realization of who was addressing her. The thickest, shaggiest pale brown hair she had ever seen, two-toned with an odd orange. He wore a long, dark red leather jacket and a tight black shirt under it, with black jeans and red boots. And he had the deepest, most soulful brown eyes.

"Seemed like you weren't enjoying yourself as much, though." He grinned. A boyish, innocent grin.

"What's a duelist like you bothering with one like me?" Anya asked honestly. Is this all the major league players had to do?

He laughed, a high, earnest laugh. "My, 'advisors' told me you were one to keep an eye out for." He responded. "What else am I gonna do? I like to keep a good lookout on future competition."

It was her turn to laugh. "Future competition? I don't think so. Sorry to disappoint." And to her surprise, his dismay was more than evident.

"Oh, really? Man, I was looking forward to facing you. Eventually, anyway. You don't wanna further your career?" He looked genuinely heart-broken.

She just stared at him for a moment, absorbing his optimistic words and downtrodden face. "It's just not…" She stopped. "Look, I'm just kind of between life choices right now, all right? I'm havin' a little trouble finding myself."

His face slowly turned serious. He approached her, taking long, quick strides and grasping her shoulders. He stared straight into her face, making her flinch. "I want you to do us both a favor. A big one."

She shivered, and stared back into his face. "Y-yeah?"

"Find yourself. And take your time with it. Don't let anyone rush you." His grip on her shoulders loosened, and all she could hear was the rustle of the clothes as he released her.

"All right." Was all she managed to say, nearly breathless.

His seriousness melted away, and he grinned again, patting her with his hand as he began to walk away. "Thanks. Honestly." He was almost out of sight.

"Wait!" She called spontaneously, surprising herself. He stopped to listen, which surprised her again. "Uhm. Why pick me? Why not talk to someone else? Encourage someone with more potential, maybe?"

He turned around, and just looked down the cold hallway at me. Someone opened the door behind him, streaming light into the darkness. Anya watched as his silhouette removed a card from his belt, and laid it on the banister. "Don't worry. I picked the right person to talk to. I know you know who I am, but I'll introduce myself anyway. Oh, and don't forget my present."

She swallowed, taking a hesitant step forward. "My full name is Anya Eenise Crawford. You…might as well know. Since you'll be keeping tabs, I suspect."

He was silent for just a moment, but she could hear the smile in his voice. "Jaden Yuki." Was the only response, and then he simply disappeared from sight.

Anya tilted her head, at first in confusion, as the light dissipated from the room and nothing but the dim lights of the concrete hallway remained. She paused, chewing on the inside of her cheek to think through what had just happened. Jaden Yuki-_the _Jaden Yuki- taking an interest in her, in her skills. Well, that was an interesting turn of events. She jogged down the hallway to where he was standing, finding the card that had been left on the banister. It wasn't a duel monster card, but a hand written index card with a phone number scribbled on it. She pocketed the card, and put her hand to her chin, deep in her own thoughts.

"Anya? Anya Crawford?" A voice echoed from the other side of the hallway. She turned around to face where the echo was originating from. "Hello? Anya?"

"Down here. Sorry for the delay." She called back.

"Your next match is up! Semi-finals." The announcer called, his voice ringing through the hallway.

Anya sighed, shaking her head and re-adjusting her ponytail. She walked confidently back down to the stadium entrance. "I'm coming, I'm coming. I was just…getting some fresh air."

"Yeah, well if you're more than five minutes late you take the loss!"

"I know." She drew in a deep, even breath, walking back into the stadium lights as the tightly knit crowd cheered her name.

Second place is pretty darn good, and it will keep the rent going for a couple of months yet. Anya fanned out part of her deck in front of her as she sipped the soda sitting in front of her. The woman sitting across from her was the advisor and manager. She found the tournaments and matches best suited for Anya, and they came to a mutual agreement on where to go next.

"Just fantastic Anya, really." The over-dressed woman marveled, praising her. "And only one more final push and you may be taking home first place prizes regularly. Then maybe we could get you into the BIG leagues, instead of these small-town underground duels. Wouldn't you like that, hmmm?" She asked Anya directly, swishing her alcoholic drink in front of her.

Anya didn't look up from her cards. "I'm not sure if I want to go big." She responded simply, and maintained her composure. Inside her head, she was bracing for the managers head to pop.

"WHAT?" The other female screeched, drawing momentary attention to herself. She immediately smoothed her thick, curly hair, straightened her skirt, and leaned in over the table. "What do you MEAN you don't want to go to the big leagues? You have the talent, my dear I assure you! What you lack is proper motivation and just a little more practice. We can't all be geniuses." She said it harshly, as if she was scolding Anya.

"Like Muto?" Anya responded. "Casie, I'm sorry. My heart just isn't in it right now. I mean it would be nice, maybe eventually. But right now…I don't know. Maybe I'll focus on my second job." She heaved a sigh, chasing her ice cubes with her straw.

Casie twitched at the sound of ice clinking against glass. Anya was annoying her on purpose. "Oh please. There will NEVER be another King of Games like Yugi Muto. He is a true genius. And your second job? You mean that little cartoon strip you do for your local paper?"

Anya shrugged defensively. "I like it. It's a nice change of pace and I'm good at it. Really good! I feel like I've been too worried with these current tournaments to take it to the proper level…maybe if I skipped the next one-"

"No." Casie said flatly, effectively stopping that train of thought. "Listen, you've already missed three major tournaments this year, and people are beginning to wonder why. Anya, you are not a two-bit hack. You are not a kid with the 'cool cards', not anymore. You're _good._ You _can_ make it. It's why the big shots-my bosses and his enemies-have had such a close eye on you. They're just waiting for your first big victory, the first shot that they get to snatch you up for their own, have you playing on their side."

Anya laid down her cards, resting her elbows on the table and rubbing her temples with her fingertips with a groan. "I know, I know." She looked up at Casie, her advisor, whose eyes were practically begging her to see it Casie's way. She knew she should listen, but the only words ringing in her head were the ones that Jayden Yuki himself and said to her, grasping her shoulders and staring into her eyes as if they bore her soul.

"Anya?" Casie snapped her fingers in front of her face.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Got lost in thought."

The other gave a rather disgruntled groan, downing the last bit of her drink. Dabbing her lips with her napkin, she went to stand. "Get yourself straightened out. BEFORE the next tournament."

"Yeah. Done deal." Anya replied, carefully storing her cards and standing to pay the check.

"You were a little late back to you semi-final today, weren't you? What kept you?"

The question threw Anya off-guard, and she nearly tripped over herself. "Oh…well I got stuck in the restroom. Yeah, there was a decent line and I had to run to make it back in time…" Oh yeah, lying. That always works out so well.

Casie gave her a skeptical look, but added a small nod of approval. "All right then. Try to be more careful next time?" She held the door open as Anya stepped outside into the chilly night air.

"Brr. Yeah, no problem. Thanks Casie. See you next month?" The advisor was already turning to the opposite direction.

"And the month after that, and the month after that…you better not ditch me!" She called, and Anya chuckled.

The red-headed duelist hailed a taxi, told him where to go, and relaxed for the fifteen-minute drive across town.

"So uh, what were you doin' so far in town today miss?" The taxi driver asked. These people loved to talk to their patrons.

"Duel Monsters." She replied simply, and smiled. "I've kinda got a thing for the game."

"Hey. You're the girl that nearly won today, aren't ya?" He peered into his rear-view mirror, trying to get a good look at her.

Anya held her smile politely. "You caught me. "

"Yeah! Anya, right? My boy says you've got what it takes to go to the major leagues in duel monsters." His attitude was growing more excitable.

Anya laughed lightly. "I honestly don't know about that. I'm between some pretty big life decisions right now. Trying to find my way, y'know?"

The taxi driver seemed to sympathize. "Aww, I understand. Still, he watches you play all the time, and even I can tell you're not your run-o-the ol' mill duelist. You got guts, and skills. Tho' he has mentioned you seemed kinda…lackluster? Is that the word? Lately."

Anya nodded slowly. "It's not the first time I've heard it. My fire hasn't been burning as brightly, as it were."

"Well, maybe you could get some new kindle, huh? Something that burns a little hotter than what did for you before?"

Humored, Anya smiled again. This time, a genuine one. "I'll have to try. Everyone's fire is a little different. You have to find what burns best in your own, I guess."

The driver groaned. "Gah! Shoulda never used that analogy. Know I'm kinda confused as to what you said. Er, meant. Both."

A moment of awkward silence. "Know what? Not even sure completely what I said, now that you mention it."

Simultaneous laughter filled their ears, and Anya rested her head on the back of the seat. Tired from the long day, she was so close to closing her eyes…

The screeching noise of rubber on asphalt made her jerk her head up. "What?" She was slammed against the car door as the car spun quickly, too fast to see what was going on. The driver shouted, and the next thing Anya remembered was a sharp pain in her left shoulder and on the left side of her face, her vision blurring as the noises around her slowly faded away, forcing her into a state of unconsciousness.


	2. 2: Call Me Crazy, Please

**Chapter 2: Call Me Crazy, Please**

"Anya Eenise Crawford, twenty-five, major concussions to the head, retained unconsciousness for nearly twelve hours…"

Anya fought the grogginess that fogged her head and clouded her vision. She tried to blink, to moisten her eyes and see better, but it only served to switch her view from absolute dark to blinding light. The voice she did not recognize continued to talk.

"Minor fracture to the arm and wrist, probably where she was knocked around inside the car, should heal within four to six weeks. Other injuries are the minor scrapes and bruises, and patient will have a sense of soreness across the chest where the seatbelt was for several weeks."

'My arm is broken?' was all she could manage to think, and then she remembered the rather sudden and very fast-moving car accident. She opened her mouth to speak, disappointed that all she could hear herself say was an odd, disgusting-sounding groan.

"Ah, she's awake!" Same voice. Must be her doctor. "Anya? Are you all right? I'm Dr. Kato; you were rushed to the ER about ten hours ago. You're in observation."

Head reeling, Anya reached out with the hand she could feel and grasped the cold, metal railings of her bed. "Observation…?" She managed to say, though it was little more than a hoarse whisper.

"Uh, don't try o sit up quite yet, you've had quite the hit on the head…" The doctor gently pushed her back down into the soft pillows, which felt oddly comforting. "And yes, you're in observation. Meaning you're injuries are not lethal, at least, as far as we know. We will keep you here for just one or two days, and if all checks out, you can leave tomorrow afternoon."

She squinted her eyes, but was really thankful that nothing had messed her up too badly. "So what happened? And the driver?" Her voice sounded cracked and dry.

"The driver is okay, in worse condition than you are, but we do not fear for his life. As for what happened…there had already been a bit of a wreck right before you got there. An oil tankard had tipped and spilled. Your car lost its traction when it hit the oil puddle, and you went careening into a lamppost! What's amazing is that the lamppost hit the car in JUST the right spot, actually lessening the impact on both you and the driver. Quite amazing, really."

Anya breathed deeply, nodding her understanding. "Yeah. Thanks a lot."

"ANYAAA!" A screeching came from down the hall, outside of the room. Anya shrunk back into her pillows. "Oh, no…"

"Oh my dear Anya!" Casie came rushing into the room, practically throwing herself into the hospital bed with her client. "I was so worried! When I heard you were in an accident I feared the worse! So I called your father, and my contacts, and-"

"You called dad?" Anya shouted, effectively breaking through the drug's grogginess effect it had on her for about half a second.

"Well…yes?" Casie shrugged guiltily.

"Cass…I really don't want…if it was more serious than this, sure. But I'm fine. And I'm sure you were calling every five minutes and was completely informed the entire time I was out."

"Anya, you are in the hospital! I was completely in the right to call your father!"

"ENOUGH!" Dr. Kato shouted harshly. "My patient does not need this bickering, Ms. Casie. And I can assure you, Anya is in perfectly stable condition. Just a scratch or two."

Casie nodded. "Oh, did you find her deck?" She managed to add quickly, grabbing the doctor by the shoulder.

Anya froze. "Where is it?" She asked suddenly.

"It's right over here, with the rest of your belongings." Dr. Kota said calmly, indicating the small cupboard on the opposite side of my bed.

She stretched out her hand, and the doctor sighed. "You duelists. Some of you have lost lives over cards." He fished out the deckbox, and handed it to her.

Anya sighed, relieved and happy. She popped the box open and checked inside. All was in fine order.

"Although…" Dr. Kato began. "That is a very fancy box. Who got it for you?"

"My father." Anya replied, examining the polished redwood box. The inside was inlaid with royal purple velvet, and the wood marbled and laminated, her name engraved on the top. "It was my sixteenth birthday present, the first day I tried my hand at a national tournament." She smiled, then felt her face fall as a sudden dizziness sent her thoughts reeling.

"You got over-excited…try to take it easy. I'll have a nurse bring you some cool water. The call button is right by your good arm." He stated the facts in a professional manner, then promptly turned on his heel and left.

Casie was hysterical. "My God Anya, you could have died!"

"Yeah." She bit through the dizziness, forcing herself to maintain a proper conversation. "I noticed."

"Do you need anything? What can I do for you?"

"Get my father on the phone. I wanna talk to him."

Casie paused, hesitant. "Are you sure you don't want to just wait for him to arrive?"

"Now, dammit!" Anya growled, shoving her good hand across her chest. She held her hand open for nearly a full moment before Casie gently placed the cell phone in her palm. "Thank you." The injured duelist said bitterly, dialing out the number. The line only rang once.

"Casie, what's wrong?" The man's voice was thick with concern.

"Dad, it's me. "

"Anya! Anya, darling are you all right? Daddy's coming, I'll be there soon! "

"Dad, really-"

"Oh please Anya, you were in a serious accident! I can't just stay away while my poor little girl sits in a hospital bed, all scared and alone without her loving, doting, father!"

Anya rolled her eyes at the drama in his voice. He was so flamboyant she swore she could see the bright colors emanating from the phone. Of course that could have been the drugs. "Dad, I'm fine. Just a slight fracture in my arm. Maybe a concussion. I'm not even in intensive care, just observation. Doctor said I was really lucky."

"Oh how you torment me! Still, I must see you, even if to calm myself down some. I've been worried sick!"

"…You've already dropped your business plans in New York, haven't you?"

"Nothing is more important to me than you. And I did not 'drop' anything; I simply rescheduled to return next month."

Anya took a slow, steady breath, itching to rub her forehead, but finding her other arm was still rather immobile. "All right. All right, fine. But please, _please_ try to be discreet. The last thing I want is you mobbed by a crowd."

"Whatever you say, darling. I'll be there in a few hours." His tone was happy. Too happy.

"Yeah. Thanks dad. Y-yeah…I love you too. All right. Bye." She closed the cell phone, passing it back to Casie with a sigh. "Thanks."

"Not a problem. I wish I could do more for you." Casie gave her an extremely apologetic look.

"Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"I'm so sorry, Anya, but I've spent most of last night and this morning here, I've pushed back all the meetings I could, but now that I know you're all right I really have some serious catching up to do back at my office." Casie looked about heartbroken, having to leave her alone in the hospital like this.

Anya patted her friends' hand, which was lying next to her. "It's all right. I understand. I should be all right by myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Hey, I've always got my deck." She laughed lightly, and then furrowed her brow as a thought crossed her mind. "Uh…could you do me a favor before you leave?"

"Anything, dear." Casie replied, smiling.

"Could you bring my clothes over here? I'm sure there are a few things in my pockets to help keep me entertained."

"Oh, you want me to search for you?" She stood up, walking over to the little cupboard.

"No, that's all right, it'll give me more to do." Anya smiled, giving her friend assurance that she was fine.

Casie returned the gesture. "All right then." She took the small stack of neatly folded clothes from the cupboard and set them next to Anya, on her right. "I've gotta go now. Take care."

They waved goodbye until Casie turned the corner, and once Anya was sure she was gone, she snatched up her pants and dug her good hand into the pockets. She grinned happily as she grasped her own cell phone and the piece of paper that Jayden had left with her. She stared at the number, wondering if it was real. Taking a deep breath, she slowly dialed in the number.

The line rang once. If it really was real, what should she say to him? A second ring. Why even call him? Sure, there were very few people she would even care to call, but even then, so few may actually show up. It rang a third time. What made her think _he_ would care to visit? They just met last night! Fourth ring. Maybe it was a big joke.

"Hello?" Oh my God. It certainly sounded like him. "Hello?" He repeated.

Anya swallowed hard. "H-hi. Is this Jayden?"

"Yeah, it is. As far as I can tell anyway! Haha! So, you couldn't even wait a day to call me? I'm kinda surprised."

She frowned as he laughed. Did he _want _her to call? "Yeah, well…I kinda don't have anything to do right now. So I figured to find out if what happened last night was a prank or not."

The happiness in his tone disappeared. "Hey, that's not cool! I meant everything I said."

"I know, and I believe you, it's just…a little odd. Y'know?"

"Yeah, all right. I hear ya. So what'd you want to talk about? You wanna duel?"

It was her turn to laugh. "Not yet, big shot. Like I said, I just wanted to check to see if I was set up for a chuckle. I'm kinda…" She sighed, deciding to against the metaphor hanging on her lips. "I'm sitting in a hospital bed with a broken arm and a headache the size of Mount Rushmore."

There was silence. A short, unbroken silence. "What hospital? I'll be right over."

Anya pulled the phone away from her ear, staring at it ludicrously. "Um." She brought the device back to her face. "Excuse me?"

"Oh come on. You called me first because you don't have many friends, right? Move around too much? Let me come visit you. Hospitals are no fun, especially alone."

Her head reeled from the very idea as she tried to absorb everything he had said. His voice was so genuine. "Are you completely serious?"

Laughter. She heard laughter on the other end. "Yes, I'm serious. Look, I understand. It's a little out of the blue and kinda weird. But I want to. I'll even bring a friend of mine. He's pretty cool."

She frowned. This situation was weird and awkward. It should have been so easy to turn down the offer, but something felt weird about it. She was okay with Jayden coming to visit her. By all means, it should have creeped her the crap out. But the more she thought about it, the more she was okay and found she actually wanted him to visit. Did she know him really? No, but that didn't mean he was a bad guy. In fact, Jayden is incredibly notorious for being an overly nice guy. "I-all right. I'm at…eh." She looked around. "Raiden Memorial."

"Great!" Jayden shouted on the other end. "I'll be there really soon." And the click of the phone ended the conversation.

Anya stared at the cellular device, stunned silent.

* * *

><p>Jayden Yuki slipped the phone into his pocket, nodding in satisfaction. "C'mon, Jess, we're gonna go visit someone!"<p>

Mint-haired Jesse Anderson was brushing his teeth as he rounded the corner from the bathroom, staring at his best friend with saucer-eyes. "Hoo?" He asked, his mouth full of foam.

"You remember Anya Crawford?" Jayden asked, grabbing his red leather jacket and securing his deck at his belt.

Jesse retreated to spit the foam from his mouth. "Yeah." He called from the restroom. "She's the one you wanted to try to talk to, right?"

"I talked to her last night." The other roommate confessed. Jesse peeked around the corner, glaring at his friend.

"Oh yeah? Without tellin' me?"

Jayden shrugged. "Sorry. I didn't know when else would be a good time. She definitely has a gift though…" A very fat cat purred at his legs. Jayden smiled fondly, reaching down to pet the creature. "Hey Pharaoh."

"What, you mean like us? Jay, how can you be sure?"

The brunette frowned, buried in deep thoughts. "I think I saw a partner with her. Though, I'm pretty sure she doesn't know it yet."

"Well that'd be a first. A partner and don't even know it. But you say you're not even sure?"

"Relax." Jayden responded, waving his hand lucidly. "She definitely has some kind of gift. Partner, talents…come on. She's got more than skills going for her, even that much you can tell."

Jesse sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I know you are. So we gonna go to her house or something? Just drop by and talk about all this stuff?"

"No, not today. She was in an accident yesterday; she's staying at Raiden Memorial. She's by herself."

Jesse's mouth fell open, and he quickly closed it. "Well, let's go cheer the poor girl up. She's gotta be just itchin to do somethin'. Anything."

Jayden smiled, and he waited patiently for Jesse to grab his deck and jacket before they strolled out the door.


	3. 3: Questions Answered and Unanswered

**Chapter 3: Questions Answered and Unanswered**

Anya played with her phone as she stared at the two rather famous boys who sat in front of her nonchalantly. They had simply strolled in with the friendliest smiles on their faces and sat down in the two closest chairs. It was weird. They moved around each other so easily, like they had known each other all their lives. Jesse Anderson was from the states, and Jayden was from Japan. By just entering the room Anya could see a nearly unbreakable friendship between the two. She clapped her phone together one last time, and smiled up at the two men. "I didn't realize Jesse and Jayden were so damn close friends." She admitted. She wished she had said that more eloquently, but her shoulder and arm had been on fire earlier and the second dose of drugs was beginning to hit her, hard and fast.

They both laughed. Such bright, hardy faces. "Jesse and I go way back." Jayden grinned. His bright smile was almost blinding.

"Are you always so…happy?" Anya asked. His attitude was truly unnerving,

Jayden sat motionless, as if pondering the thought. For a moment, just the smallest of seconds, he looked incredibly serious. "Hm. I guess I am. I mean I've got nothing to be upset about, so why not be happy all the time. Right?" His face broke into a broad smile again.

"Oh. Well. If you looked at it that way." Simple enough logic, but did that mean that every word he said had to sound like he was on a sugar rush? "It's just a little odd. Or it seems odd. I don't know. I'm on painkillers here. My thoughts aren't exactly straight." She scratched her head, beginning to wonder why it was a good idea to allow this visit.

"Its fine, I actually get that a lot."

"Yeah, big surprise." Jesse added, grinning just as wide. He jabbed at his friend with his elbow, causing Jayden to slap his arm away.

"Cut it out. We're supposed to be making the sick one feel better here!"

Jesse stopped, and then gave Jayden a sly grin. "Oh, is that why we're here? Shoulda said somethin' sooner man." He stood, approached the bed with an oddly composed attitude. He leaned over Anya, and stared into her eyes. "Such a lovely little thing you are. How about when you get a mite better we have some dinner, just you and me?" He flashed a devilish grin, and Anya's poor drugged mind could only force her to shrink back further into the bed.

Jayden grabbed Jesse by the hem of his friend's jacket, forcibly plopping him back down into his seat. "Would you stop that? That's not what I meant."

"I was just trying to make her feel a bit better using my charmin' good looks!" He was obviously joking about it, as Jayden half-smiled as his gaze fell to the opposite side of the room.

"Yeah, because the girls just fall all over themselves for you, dunno why..." He laughed.

"Oh don't be so mean to me! As I recall, and I do recall my dear friend, it was me that helped you work up the courage to the one girl you _did_ have a crush on!"

Jayden's face heated up. "I could've done it eventually!" He retorted hotly, but quietly. "I just don't throw myself around like you do."

"I don't 'throw' myself! …Do I?" Jesse pointed at himself, as if a revelation had just hit him.

Jayden raised an eyebrow, and nodded. "All the time. But I guess it works for you, so I really don't care. You attract more girls than I do, that's for sure."

Anya listened and watched the two friends banter and talk, and she couldn't help smiling. She had seen these two on TV so many times before, just like most of the rest of the world. But here, sitting in front of her, were just two ordinary people. Best friends with a special bond, bickering and talking. Not the constantly-determined duelist on television. Just two normal people. She had to giggle at the sight. "I personally think Jayden is cuter…"

The words just fell out of her mouth, naturally. The two boys stopped, frozen, their gaze fixated on her. It took her a moment to comprehend just what the hell had happened, and when she did, the smile faded from her face as a hot flush seared her cheeks. Their little friendly squabble had reminded her of a conversation with an old friend, which is what had just fallen from her lips. She sat there, her face burning, her head swimming with painkillers, and she wished she could pull the covers over her head and hide.

"You think I'm the cute one?" Jayden asked flatly. His face held all kinds of disbelief.

Anya just stared at him, her flush deepening as her head struggled to maintain a coherent thought. "Well. Uhm. M-my girlfriend and I…we talked about guys. You know, like what girls do. And of course you were doing your big tour at the time, Jayden…so I mean, we were just talking generally." She felt like a bona fide idiot.

Jayden stared at her for another moment, his eyes wide as saucers, until his face finally broke into a loud, hearty laugh. "Well, that's good to know. At least someone takes an interest in me."

Anya frowned, her face contorting in confusion. "You don't have fans?" She asked, bewildered. Surely someone of Jayden's standings had people fawning over him at some point.

"Eeeeh. They're not what I look for in a girl." He admitted, and for the first time, Anya saw a glimpse of sadness cross his face. She thought about asking him, but held her tongue. It wasn't very polite to pry so soon after they met.

Thankfully, Jesse interrupted the sudden silence by standing up and stretching loudly. "I'm parched! Would you guys like me to get some drinks for us?"

"Oh. Yeah, that'd be great." Anya smiled. The dizziness was wearing off, and she could sit up well on her own. Her mind was just a touch foggy yet.

"You want me to go? You could stay and chat with Anya." Jayden offered, and Jesse shook his head.

"Nah, you stay and keep her company, I'll take orders. What ya'll want?"

"Hm. How about some tea?"

Jesse nodded as he took the mental note. "Anya?"

"A clear soda, whatever they've got." She replied, happy to have something other than water. The painkillers had staved off hunger, and she felt empty just drinking water.

"All right, I'll be right back." And the mint-green haired boy left.

"So. All by our lonesome." Jayden said, smiling.

Anya nodded. "Oh yeah, swell. I really appreciate you comin' out to visit me, even though you don't know me that well."

"Yeah well…" He absent-mindedly scratched his arm, letting out a slow breath. "Look. There is another reason I wanted to talk to you, specifically. I'm just not sure…aw; I shouldn't even be bringing this up with you banged up like this."

She blinked, confused. "So there _is _a reason you came here today? Well, what is it?"

Jayden frowned. "I…I don't know if we should talk about it now. I just wanted to tell you that there is something important I need to speak to you about. And it's the same reason your safety is a concern of mine and Jesse's. But we need you to be better, first."

She rolled her eyes. "Why are boys so complicated? Is it really so bad that you think a few scrapes will change my opinion? What do you want to tell me?" She glared at him coldly.

"We…" Jayden started, and he looked down, his attitude falling. "Jesse and I have a talent, a certain gift. A few others, too. I've…seen things around you. Things that make me think you've got that gift as well."

"What kind of gift?" Anya asked cautiously. Maybe he was just a little crazy.

"Do you know what a Duel Spirit is?" He asked a little too seriously.

Anya blinked, surprised. "A Duel Spirit? That's…" She paused, thinking it over. "Rumors, whispers…old stories. Some said Yugi Muto himself had a spiritual partner. From what I understand, of the rumors anyway, is that duelists with spirits are favored by heart of their deck-the spirits that reside within them."

"And do you believe that?" Jayden pressed. He sat on the edge of his seat, anxious.

"I've…seen things. Father has taken me to Egypt more than once. Shown me sites and proof that…well, it's hard to argue what's sitting in front of your face. You're telling me Duel Spirits are real?" She gave him a speculative look.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "I gotta say, I'm happy to hear you could be so accepting. Surprised, but very glad…and yes, that's what I'm saying. Jesse and I have Spirit partners. We can see them, and the spirits with others. I believe there is one following you, right now even."

Anya gave him a doubtful look, spinning her head around to drink in every corner of the room. "I can't see anything."

"I know. That's the odd part. Everyone I've met up till now who has one can see them. It's interesting, to say the least…but do you believe me?"

She sighed, scratching at her scalp. "I _can_ believe it." She breathed, turning her glance upwards. "But what's the importance of it? What, you want to gather all the partnered duelists up into a little club or something?"

"Well…sort of. It's kind of a really long story, and it can wait. I just didn't want you thinking you had a stalker or anything weird like that." He laughed, his smile breaking through the seriousness again.

"All right, I'll bite." She replied on a smile. "Who is your spirit partner?"

"The Winged Kuriboh." He replied, nodding proudly. "I have met more than one member of my crew, however. The Neo-Spacians…I've met a couple of them. And Neos, he's a great guy!" His face lit up when he talked about his partners. "Oh, and there's one more…but I can tell you about her later. That's another long story, and I think we've talked enough about that today."

She had to laugh. All this talk about duel spirits and talking to monsters that were generally thought created to entertain children through a silly card game…a vastly popular one, but still a little silly nonetheless. But at the same time, she felt entirely compelled to believe him. "All right Jayden. I believe you. You talk to spirits. That…doesn't freak me out. Surprisingly." She giggled, winning a chuckle from her companion as well.

"You went and talked to her without me?" Jesse's thick accent filled the room, and the other two occupants turned to welcome him back. He set down the drink carrier on the table, handing one cup to Anya immediately and politely.

"I'm sorry, Jess. But we were just sitting here, and I stupidly mentioned it…and then she wouldn't let go of it!"

"Uh-huh. I'll just file under that 'Jayden when he can't keep quiet about somethin'. I should dump your tea." He threatened.

"Wait, I want my tea!" The brunette cried, reaching for the Styrofoam cup eagerly.

Jesse stood there, as if he was trying to think about it. "Hm. If you weren't such a great buddy of mine, Jay…" He reluctantly handed over the cup, much to Jayden's delight.

Anya shook her head. These two were interesting together, to say the least. "So who's your spirit partner, Jesse?"

He looked up, surprised at being addressed so bluntly. "Mine? I have a very special deck, as ya might know."

"The Crystal Beasts, yeah. I know circles of people who follow you very closely. Kind of creepy, actually." She scrunched her nose, remembering the 'superfans' that she had run into on more than one occasion.

Jesse frowned, his head tilted in curiosity. "Do I even want to really know…?"

"No. No, you don't. Fans are creepy. One of the reasons I'm…on the fence about attempting to go pro or not. Anyway, your duel…spirit?" She had to shake her head once to believe she was really asking that. Why was this so easy to believe?

"Well, little Ruby is almost always out and about, but all the Crystal Beasts…well, they're my family. And I honestly don't look at it any other way." He flashed a bright smile at her.

"All right. Good to know. So if I start seeing things that nobody else sees…you guys will be the first to know, I guess. Still like to know why it's so darn important." She stared at them, hoping that pressing the issue would get some more answers.

"Not today." They said it simultaneously, making her jump a bit in surprise. Skeptical, but throwing her good arm up in defeat, she nodded in compliance. "All right, fair enough. Questions for a different day. It is nice to know you're not stalking me though. Jayden's entire 'creepy guy in the hallway approach' had me kind of freaked out."

Jayden's face turned red as his mint-haired best friend burst out laughing. "What did he do?" Jesse asked through tears of laughter.

"Hey, I never get a chance to be the 'cool' one!" Jay shouted in defense.

"So you went for dark and mysterious? You are an odd one, Jayden Yuki." Anya replied. She smiled, content to listen to the laughing and bickering of the two boys in front of her.

An echo of gasps and exclamations in the hallway drew their attention. "I wonder what's going on out there?" Jayden asked aloud.

Anya spun, staring at the clock on the wall. She sighed, rubbing her forehead with her good hand. "I think my dad's here."


	4. 4: Tell Me Your Past

**Chapter 4: Tell Me Your Past**

The two boys stared at her blankly. "Well, who's your father?" Jayden asked first, staring at her incredulously.

"Oh Anyaaaaa~~!" An oddly high-pitched voice sang through the doorway, and Anya swore all she could see at first was the huge, oversized bouquet of lavender and roses. The aroma of flowers instantly filled the room, overwhelming her. "Oh I'm so glad you're all right, my sweet little girl!" The sing-song tone continued, and the male set the bouquet down as he trotted over to Anya's bedside.

She looked up at her father, the person who adopted her when she was very little. She stared at his half-covered face, long silver hair, and red silk suit, sighing exasperatedly. "Hi dad.

"Pegasus?" Jayden exclaimed, dumbfounded by the discovery. "You have a daughter?"

"Oooh, Jayden-boy, didn't expect to see you here." The multibillionaire crooned. "And little Jesse Anderson as well! My, my Anya, haven't we been busy lately. Making connections in the bigger world already, darling?"

"Dad, if I wanted bigger connections, then I'd let you parade me all over the world." She replied cooly, resting her head in the palm of her hand.

Pegasus would have none of it. He reached down, wrapping his lengthy arms around her shoulders, being mindful of the broken arm. "Oh that's so true! You're so smart, my little sweetheart, that's why I've always been so proud of you! Daddy loves you, you know, and I just couldn't stand it when I heard you had been hurt~!"

"Dad. I'm fine. And I can't breathe." She fought her scrunched face to send a pleading look to the other two visitors in the room, but to no avail.

"Oh I'm so sorry. You know how you worry me so! Living on your own, not wanting any part of my empire…I understand wanting a career of your own, but I'm not even allowed to send you a check once a month? Such a cruel daughter you are, tormenting me with such worry!" Pegasus released her, wrapping his arms around himself, playing up is over dramatic self even more.

"Oh dad…you know if I was ever in any trouble I would call you." She patted his arm, and tried to give him a comforting smile.

"I hate to interrupt…" Pegasus and Anya turned to stare at Jesse, who had obvious questions in his eyes. "…but how come no one knows that Maximillion Pegasus has a daughter? I mean, I figured that be kind of a big deal, right?"

"I'm adopted." Anya said quickly, eyeing Pegasus as he closed his mouth. "Of course it would be a hassle growing up famous, so he kept me hidden from exposure. I grew up going to public schools driven by a private driver in an average car. I had a very privileged life, but I grew up normal, thanks to him. And no, I have no interest in becoming the heir to the Industrial Illusions company; which is why I'm on my own, earning my own keep every month and making my own career." She paused, waiting for a response.

Jayden spoke first. "So you gave up the luxurious life for one that you had to work for? That's a little backwards that what people would usually do, right?"

She laughed. "Do you have any idea what it takes to run a company that size? No thanks. I've seen dad at work. It's more pressure than I could handle, for sure. And you can call me a coward, or any of those things, but I didn't feel right taking part in a fortune that I wasn't interested in working for."

"It's such a shame, too!" Pegasus interjected. "You really are the best suited for the job, Anya darling, even if it isn't what you want." He laid his hand gently on her shoulder. "But you know I will always respect your wishes."

"Yes, dad. Thank you. Really." She rubbed his hand against her cheek, and he kneeled down to hug her again. Letting go the second time, he stood, and straightened his suit.

"So, what are two of my favorite duelists doing here visiting my little girl anyway?" He asked rather flatly, giving them both a fond look.

"Actually, Anya and I met at her match last night." Jayden started.

"They say I have some kind of gift, dad." Anya interrupted, making Pegasus spin around and face her. He seemed shocked for a moment, then spun back around to glare at the two boys.

"Can I talk to you two out in the hallway for a moment?" He said harshly, grabbing Jayden roughly by the arm and hauling him to his feet.

"Whoa, we'll talk we'll talk!" Jayden shouted, being half-dragged out of the room. Jesse jogged after them, leaving Anya alone in her bed, very confused. She sipped at her soda while she waited.

Pegasus made sure he was well out of Anya's ear-shot when he stared down the boys in front of him. It was kind of hard to do, since both had grown much since he had last saw them. Jesse was nearly an inch taller than he was. "What do you _mean_ she has the gift? She's never seen a spirit her entire life! I should know! I watched her!"

Jayden cocked an eyebrow. "Sorry Pegasus, but I've seen something following her around! And it wasn't human."

Jesse nodded in agreement. "Yeah. She's definitely got some kinda critter runnin' around her. It's stuck to her like glue! I'm sorry to say, but she's probably one of our best bets to help out here in a couple a years."

The tycoon's face fell, and he took a long, deep breath. "Are you sure you need her? I trust you boys, but I've raised Anya since she was a tiny little girl…only four years old when I adopted her. She's a sweet girl."

Jayden patted his shoulder fondly. "If she's with us, nothing can hurt her. You should know that."

Pegasus stared at the not-so-young duelist, his eyes flickered yellow and green for a split second, assuring his words. "You two…you've grown so well. Oh, and Jayden, you turn twenty-six this month, don't you?"

The brunette paused, and smiled a little, confident smile. "Yeah, I guess I do."

Pegasus grinned, and handed him something from his pocket. "Here. This is a little gift from me. It's good at any of my stores, I hope it comes to good use."

Jayden looked at the piece of plastic, realizing it was a gift card, over $200 american dollars worth. "This isn't going to be much good here, in Japan."

"Oh darn. Sorry, I was in the states on business recently. You travel though, don't you? Maybe you'll be able to use it later? If not, just come and find me to exchange it. You have my best contact now." He glanced back into the room, eyeing is daughter.

"That's all right." Jesse exclaimed, patting Jayden on the back. "I'd like to go visit home sometime anyway." He grinned, winking in appreciation.

"Good. Now that we've gotten all of that straightened out, I'm sure poor Anya is bored out of her mind! Let's go back in." Pegasus said excitedly, his face beaming with excitement about visiting Anya.

The three men filed back into the room, their spirits that much higher.

_**Three weeks later**_

Anya stared at her hand, eyeing Jayden from across the short, wooden coffee table. He looked completely relaxed, as if there wasn't a single care in his entire life. She sighed, glancing around a moment, drinking in her surroundings once more. The apartment was simple, lightly colored, with pastel cloth furniture and dark, polished wood pieces. The TV was huge, and a game system or two were shut in the lower cabinet of the entertainment center. On the other side of the room was the kitchen and dining area, sectioned of by a half-wall. She frowned, scratching her head. "You know, you really freak me out when you do that." She finally said after returning her gaze to his face.

"Do what?" He asked blankly. His eyes changed to clouded confusion.

"I know this duel is just for fun, but you're so calm about it. You're not even on-edge when I get you cornered." The last thing her father had said to her before getting back on his plane was 'you can trust them'. She would just have to trust daddy on this one. Jayden just creeped her out sometimes, and she wasn't one hundred percent sure why.

"You need to relax a bit more, have more fun with it. Like you used to!" He just grinned, making his next move in two cards. "Playing the game old-fashioned like this is good, too."

She rolled her eyes. "I am having fun. I don't know…I just don't feel the drive for it." She set down another card, and a fat cat jumped up on the table, scattering their game.

"Pharaoh!" Jayden scolded. "You messed up our game!" He picked up the overweight cat, setting him on the floor with a quiet 'meow', and started gathering his cards. "Sorry…"

"It's all right." She responded. "I was losing anyway." She tried to gather her cards as well. A little difficult to do yet with one hand in a cast still.

"So…Anya. Something has been bugging me."

Anya laughed. "More questions? Ask away." He has pried her all week about questions like 'how was it living with Pegasus', and 'did you ever make any cards' or 'what kind of factories did you visit'. It amused her.

"You're name is Anya Crawford, right?"

"Yeah."

"But Pegasus…his name is Maximillion Pegasus." He stuffed his deck into its box, moving to the other side of the table to sit next to Anya.

"Actually, his real name is Pegasus J. Crawford. He changed it quite a while ago, adopting the name 'Maximilion' after he decided to create duel monsters."

"Really? That's pretty interesting."

"Yeah, I guess."

"So what about before you were adopted and living in a mansion with maid and servants and all that?" He leaned on close on her, his eyes big with excitement.

"Oh. You mean the orphanage? It was sucky, as any orphanage is usually is remembered. Dad had it torn down and rebuilt, though, much nicer place afterwards. Nicer people too, from what I understand. Don't remember much though, I was only there for a few months and I was four years old when I was adopted. Nearly five." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. She hadn't thought about that place in quite some time.

"Well…do you remember anything from before that? I mean you were really little, but what about your parents?"

Anya didn't say anything. She turned her face away from Jayden, glancing at the other side of the room. "Obviously there was a reason, I was put in an orphanage. I don't really want to talk about it, Jay."

"Oh. You're right. I'm sorry, I should have thought that through a bit better…"

"Nah, it's all right. Once people find out you're adopted, they all want to know how you dealt with it, or what was it like before you had actual parents, and all the other stuff. It's all right. Really." No it wasn't. Why say it was?

Then he surprised her. "No, it's not. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't pry so much."

She spun her head, staring at him for a few second before giggling. "You know, I'm becoming very interested in your past. How did you get to be so aware, so nice?" She smiled softly at him, staring into his deep, brown eyes.

Jayden leaned back the tiniest bit, as if surprised by the question. "Me? I'm…nothing special." He was lying of course, but what was he going to say? That there was a psychopathic-gone-sane duel spirit fused with his soul and he had to crawl his way through hell and back to shake a dark being that lived inside of him for years? It was too much to say yet. Instead, he smiled politely, hanging on to the lie. "Would you like a drink?" He asked suddenly.

"Yeah, sure, just some regular soda would be great." She watched him as he stood to move to the kitchen. "So…keep telling me about yourself." She called, and his voice echoed in response.

"I grew up pretty regularly too, my parents really cared for me, and really, one of the best days of my life, was when I went to the Duel Acadamy. I was so excited I couldn't sleep the night before the entrance exams, and I ended up running really late! But it worked out well, because that's when I got my Winged Kuriboh card, and my spirit partner." He returned, handing her a sealed can of cola.

Anya furrowed her brows, confused and curious. "How did you being late get you a free card? One with a spirit, no less?" She accepted the drink, suddenly very thirsty.

"Oh, I ran into someone. And I mean that literally. After I nearly knocked the both of us out, he handed the card to me. Said something about how it belonged with me."

"What, a stranger did that? Isn't that a little weird?"

"I thought so too, but I'm pretty sure the person I met that day was Yugi Muto."

Anya nearly choked on the cola she was about to down. "What? Yugi Muto as in, King of Games Yugi Muto?"

"Oh, yeah. You've never met him? I thought he had close ties to Pegasus?"

"Wanted to be normal, remember? I was perfectly content watching him like the rest of the world, through a television screen. Besides, Yugi didn't visit with dad very often from what I understand. Hardly at all, actually. Seto Kaiba visited a few times, and I met Aster Phoenix once."

"Aster is a good guy." Jayden said wistfully. Anya stared at him. His eyes held a very far-off look, like he was buried in some old memory. She frowned, leaning in closer at him. Shock froze her as his eyes seemed to flicker yellow. She stared harder, her eyes growing in surprise and…something else. Fear?

He turned to her, giving her a puzzled look. "Hey, you all right?" He asked, concerned. He reached out to grab her shoulder.

She instinctively pulled away, surprising Jayden as his hand shrunk back. "Wha-? Oh! I'm sorry. Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, just thought I saw something…"

His brows knitted together, his face suddenly oddly serious. "Saw what?"

"Oh…just…a spider. Dangling over your head. I don't like the darn things, and I just thought I saw one." She allowed a nervous laugh to escape her mouth, and waved her hand to bat away at her own silliness.

"Is that all?" His face relaxed in an instant, and Anya hid her concern. Was he hiding something? If he was, it wasn't her job to pry either. If he accepted her secrets untold, then the least she could do was the same for him. So she looked up, and smiled politely.

"Yeah, that's it. So when does Jesse come back?" She had nearly forgotten about their third companion who had left to retrieve dinner for the evening, but a sudden gnawing in her stomach reminded her that food was still a necessity of life.

"It shouldn't be much longer yet." Jayden replied, standing again to stretch. "And I think that's all we'll talk about for today. Getting any 'spirit' inklings yet?"

Anya shrugged. "I still don't see anything. Maybe you were wrong?" She asked, looking up at him.

He suddenly looked sad, and looked down at her. Wait, he wasn't looking _at _her directly, but next to her. Did he see something? "I'm definitely not wrong about this." He said with confidence.

Anya frowned. She felt like she should say something, but had no idea what would be appropriate. There was a knock on the door, and she felt instant relief by the welcome interruption.

"Must be Jess!" Jayden exclaimed, happily jumping over furniture to reach the door. The wooden door flew open, and Jesse walked in, heavy bags of food weighing him down.

"Sorry Jess, I'd help but my arm isn't what it used to be!" Anya called from her spot on the couch.

Jess set the bags down, breathing a little harder than what was normal. "It's all right, nothin' you can do about that arm quite yet. We got it." He took a moment to flash her one of his broad grins, telling her he was happy to see her again. "You gotta come over a bit more often, y'hear?"

"Sure, when my agent isn't bugging me so much." She sighed, Casie had been practically begging her to take an interview or two for her publicity.

"Remember what I told you." Jayden called from the kitchen. He was helping Jesse put some food away. "Don't let anyone rush you into this. You have to choose what you want to do, on your own."

She sat there for a moment, re-absorbing the advice and taking it to heart. "Yeah, I know. Thanks again Jayden." She smiled at herself. Casie wanted her to be a professional duelist. The newspaper wanted her to be a full-time artist. Her father, who would never nag her about it, but she knew that deep down he wanted her to run his company eventually, and it made her feel guilty being around him knowing she couldn't do what he wanted. It almost made her feel worse, for some odd reason, that he never once complained about it. Jayden encouraged her to be totally and completely free, and he made her feel good about everything. She grinned, quickly understanding why she liked coming over here three times a week.


End file.
